


Festive Ball

by Plethora



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Alcohol, Christmas Party, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:29:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29592837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plethora/pseuds/Plethora
Summary: You get a bit drunk while at a festive party with the Master.
Relationships: The Master (Ainley)/Reader, The Master (Doctor Who)/Reader
Kudos: 3





	Festive Ball

**Author's Note:**

> Another Christmassy/Winter themed fic! This one is actually pretty long but it isn’t very Master heavy, content wise.

“A drink for the honorable Lady?”

The room was filled with people, aliens of several species. Some you could name, others you could not. If the Master was still by your side you were sure he would be explaining the ones that it would be important for you to know about. At the moment, however, the Master was on the other side of the room, chatting up some random alien who he had said was third in line for an important throne on Velsavar. They may be third in line but they would be ruler in just 3 months. A coup killing their “bastard father” and their heir siblings. Of course, the Master intended to take advantage of that.

You tore your gaze away from the Master on the other side of the room to look at your host. He had graciously offered the Master and you a place to stay during the festivities. Neither of you were certain of his motives, but he seemed to find the Master an interesting conversation partner. The two of you were somewhat hesitant to place any trust in him but he seemed -biased on his reputation- to be uninterested in causing problems for the two of you. He was far more interested in impressing his guests at his soirees with dazzling decor, and even more impressive guest lists. 

He had referred to the two of you as most honored guests when he had discovered who you were. The formidable Master and his lady love, the most feared criminal couple in the universe. He had extended an invitation for the two of you to attend his annual holiday party and provided a room for the two of you to spend the night in if you so chose to. The Master had hesitated to agree, but the opportunity had been too tempting for him to resist.

The Master had been even more hesitant to reveal anything about you to your host, fearing what he could do with the information. But after several attempts by your host to offer you food and drink that wasn’t safe for human consumption the Master had given in. Revealing to the man that you were human, and due to that fact, oh so fragile compared to the normal guests he hosted. He had taken it in stride, immediately apologizing and ensuring that anything he offered you after that point was safe for your human sensibilities.

You took the offered drink from his hand with a soft-spoken, “thank you, my Lord,” you refused to offend your host by not at least accepting the foreign drink. You weren’t required to take more than a sip if it ended up being too strong for you. You had only enough trust in your host to trust that it was not poisoned.

The taste of cinnamon, winterberries, and clover coated your tongue. The drink seemed to be non-alcoholic. No hint of the chemical taste that most alien alcohols consisted of. Still, you would be cautious and keep your consumption of anything not approved by the Master to one glass.

“It seems- unusual- of the Master to leave your side in a situation such as this. He is known for being incessantly possessive of you. Yet here you are, no so-called madman by your side at a party with hundreds of no longer sober men who would be eager to get their hands on a dream such as yourself.”

You flashed him a dangerous smile, “are you one of the men eager to get their hands on me.”

“I know very well that to touch you with poor intentions would be to invite my own death.”

He seemed to be amused by your answer as if he considered your unspoken threat to be humorous. At the very least you could admit that it lacked bite with the Master on the other side of the room. Surprisingly, you weren’t insulted by his humor at your potential helplessness. It seemed to come from a position of understanding that it was likely that some poor soul would fail to recognize that the man who’s arm you had entered on was a universally known killer.

You took another sip to avoid having to play polite and apologize to your host. The Master was shaking hands with the man across the room now. You only hoped that this was a sign that he would be returning to your side soon. You missed his warm presence, his quiet whispered explanations of all the wonders and annoyances of the universe.

Your view of the Master was blocked by a rowdy group of men who rushed past, almost knocking you over. Your host caught you in a low dip, hand dangerously close to the bare skin of your leg exposed by the long slit in the green velvet of your dress. The slit having risen to expose even more of your thigh as you kept your arm outstretched. Trying to keep from splashing your drink all over yourself. Slowly his hands wandered up your person, gently pulling you up away from the floor.

Guests nearby hollered obscenely at the sight.

“My apologies, I meant no unwelcome touches on your person.”

“That’s alright. I suspect that the tumble I would have taken would have been a worse fate than my currently flustered face.”

You took another sip to help hide your embarrassment at having been caught so off guard due to your fascination with the Master. Your face felt very warm. Too warm. You were starting to suspect that the drink in your glass that you had managed to save was in fact alcoholic. You assumed that it wasn’t too alcoholic, hopefully just enough to get you buzzed. To help you relax from your social awkwardness without the Master by your side to guide you in unfamiliar rituals and customs.

The surroundings began to fade and blur around you. Unsure if it was due to embarrassment or the daze of tipsiness fast approaching you made the -possible- mistake of finishing the rest of your drink.

You startled as hands wrapped themselves around your waist, as your host hurriedly excused himself from your side. The glass being pulled from your grip and placed on the tray of a passing server.

“Now what were you drinking, my darling one. Did you even know?”

You relaxed as you realized that it was the Master who had you in his grasp. Blinking you tried to think back to if you had recognized him approaching. How had he snuck up on you to the point of making you jump? You decided that you didn’t care. He was here now.

You smiled as you fell back into the Master, becoming almost dead weight against him. He held your weight with ease. You giggled, pleasantly tipsy and gleeful. Who knows what you had been talking to your host about before he left you in the Master’s care. Honestly, you had probably blacked out for a majority of the conversation since you couldn’t remember it at all. Hopefully, you hadn’t insulted him. The Master needed him, in a way, for his newest scheme to work. And if you had insulted him then it would have made you taking the risk to trust the drink he gave you pointless. It had been done solely not to insult your host!

“I’m not sure, but it tasted really good Master!”

It took a lot of effort but you managed to raise your hand to gently tap the side of the Master’s face, or well to try and tap his face. You only managed to reach his shoulder, settling for tapping against the soft velvety poofy shoulder of his shirt. It was somewhat strange that he still wore velvet like the body had when he stole it. 

The Master had explained that this stolen body of his was still adjusting to the changes his mind forced upon it. Changes to make it into something suitable for a Time Lord. As such, he tended to get cold now. You saw it as a small blessing that gave you an excuse for more cuddles. You had missed cuddles when he had avoided you while dealing with being in a decayed body hanging onto life. Not that you would have cuddled him even if he wasn’t so against it. You were too afraid that you would hurt him to try and facilitate any physical contact after he had hissed in pain the one time you tried to hold his hand to comfort him. But that wasn’t something you had to worry about anymore! Now you could cuddle him to your heart’s content.

“Why didn’t we try to find this dress in black so that I could match you, Master? Then everyone would know that I am yours. I would have really liked looking like I matched you…”

“The green dress looks breathtaking on you, and it is far more festive. You insisted that you wanted to be at least a little bit festive.”

“But I could have matched you,” you whined like a child.

Slowly the Master guided you to begin walking towards the edges of the room. Were you leaving? If you were that meant that all of the Master’s attention could be on you. No one would be able to distract him away from your side again.

“I love you, Master. You do know that, right? Right?”

Looking down at you as you stumbled, even with his hands guiding you, he seemed to be pointedly ignoring your declaration. You pouted, he didn’t believe you! He sighed as you crossed your arms and started to dig your heels into the floor, he seemed disappointed. You refused to move until he acknowledged you again.

“Let’s get you back to the guest room our host had provided us for the night.”

You let him guide you after hearing his tone. You shrunk into yourself. 

“I’m sorry, Master,” you despondently stated.

“Whatever are you sorry for?” He sounded genuinely confused.

Crying out, “I failed you,” all you wanted to do now was run away and hide yourself underneath the covers but you didn’t know where your room was.

“You’ve done nothing of the sort, my dear girl. It is our host that I am disappointed in- for providing you with something that does not suit your biology, your human metabolism. He should have known better.”

He whipped tears from the corners of your eyes. Pulling you in close against his side once they were gone, leading you the rest of the way to the room by his side.

“Tomorrow morning our host is going to suffer just as much as he has made you suffer with the headache I am certain you are going to have in the morning. Consider that a promise, darling.“


End file.
